A guitar solo can be a moment of musical awesomeness. When it's done well, it can send chills down your spine. Here's a list of some of my favorite guitar solos, in no particular order. Some are examples of mastery on the instrument, others are noteworthy because they are unique, and some are great because they fit the song perfectly, but most encompass all of these qualities.

Song - Guitarist - Band - Track Time
Advanced Corpse Tumor - Muhammed Suiçmez - Necrophagist - 2:20
Don't let the name fool you, this is a VERY good song. Technical death metal with classical overtones. Has the cookie monster vocals, but I urge everyone who enjoys an astounding guitar solo to check this track out

Legions of the Serpent - Michale Keene - The Faceless - 2:25
Another one with a similar story, tech death with a bit of classical influence. Very melodic type tune, Michale Keene pulls one of the best tones out of a guitar I have ever heard.

Wrong Side - Devin Townsend - Strapping Young Lad - 1:20
If you know who Devin Townsend is then you'll love this track, one of the most interesting songs ever, combined with his unorthodox and beautiful vocal melodies, the song and the solo will never disappoint.

Crystal Mountain - Chuck Shuldiner - Death - 2:05
So I don't really feel line explaining this one. If you don't like Chuck, I think you've got a stick up your *you know where*

I'd list some more, but these are just a few that stick out. I'm not a huge guitar solo fan so criticize as you will.

The thing is, I'm really not either. In fact, I often find them to be tedious and overbearing. However, there are some that are so well conceived and executed, I have to give them props. That's why I created the above list. Thanks for contributing some of your favs.

Hey, where are the Frank Zappa fans??? I know you guys have heard of Terry Bozzio!

One of my favorite FZ guitar solos is from Black Napkins (Zoot Allures) and is a live version at that! Bozzio is on drums. Zoot Allures is one of my desert island recordings. (BTW, I live on a desert island: Abu Dhabi!)

Another Brick in the Wall - David Gilmour (Floyd - I could easily include half a dozen of his solos)

The Thrill Is Gone - BB King

Show Biz Kids - Rick Derringer (Steely Dan)

Sister Morphine - Ry Cooder (The Stones)

Smoke on the Water - Ritche (Purple)

All Along the Watchtower - Jimi

Intro / Sweet Jane - Steve Hunter (Lou Reed's Rock'n'Roll Animal)

Batuka - Uncle Carlos (from Santana 3)

Son of Orange County - Uncle Frank (from Roxy and Elsewhere)

Om Nama Shivaya - Steve Hillage (from the album "L")

Couldn't Stand the Weather - Stevie Ray

White Room - EC is God

Ok, it's more than ten ... but there's been a lot of good uns! I didn't include the other 1000 or so gems to be found on various Steely Dan (how about Larry Carlton on Kid Charlemaine?), Beck, Queen, Purple, Zep, Floyd and BB King albums.

Top ten guitar solos in no particular order apart from the order that I published them in:

John Petrucci Guitar Solo - Dream Theater (listed as a song in an album, so technical)
The light that blinds - Shadows Fall (teh speed picking is speedy)
A fire in babylon - Shadows Fall (awesome)
Smoke on the water - Deep Purple (just so "progy")
Jambi - Tool (almost minimalist...uses talk box effects)
Bulls on parade - Rage against the machine (vinyl stratch effects on electric guitar)
Lonely Day - System of a down (intricate and by System)
Into the cold wastes - Abigail Williams (black metal minus vocals, ie. instrumental)
Through the fire and the flames - Dragonforce (guitar solo times 2)
"That harsh, heavy and violent song by Meshuggah" (crap that's all of them)

One of my favorite FZ guitar solos is from Black Napkins (Zoot Allures) and is a live version at that! Bozzio is on drums. Zoot Allures is one of my desert island recordings. (BTW, I live on a desert island: Abu Dhabi!)

GJS

Yes and yes. One of my top favourite Zappa solos is on the outro of the Zoot Allures title track, although it's always pained me that that's about the only Zappa track ever to involve a fade out during a solo, grrrr. (If anyone has a bootleg of the entire studio out-takes from Zoot Allures please get in touch). Frank's playing on Watermelon in Easter Hay is monstrous as well.

Yes and yes. One of my top favourite Zappa solos is on the outro of the Zoot Allures title track, although it's always pained me that that's about the only Zappa track ever to involve a fade out during a solo, grrrr. (If anyone has a bootleg of the entire studio out-takes from Zoot Allures please get in touch). Frank's playing on Watermelon in Easter Hay is monstrous as well.

I have heard Frank smoke the fretboard on alot of songs and in concert (I saw the 200 Motels Tour back in the day, lol). But my favorite guitar song he ever did was "Sexual Harrassment in the Workplace". Not so much from technical complexity or speed, but just pure pleasure to the ears.

One of my fave Uncle Frank solos was in I Promise Not to Come (etc - lol) from Live In New York. A beautiful solo and I think it would be more lauded if it wasn't overshadowed by Eddie Jobson's sublime synth solo - my fave synth solo of all time. Frank played a pearler in the title track of The Grand Wazoo too.

BTW, we could probably make a top 30 by simply listing Jimi's catalogue.

I can't come up with a whole 10 at the drop of a hat, but I can't wait to post either. so...

1) Robert Fripp in Eno's "Baby's on Fire": a huge, long, loud, full of reverb, fuzz and EBow effing orgy of a solo.

2) Robert Fripp again in Eno's "St. Elmo's Fire": Nuff said...

3) Andy Partridge on XTC's "Love at First Sight": he starts playing this distorted chord on the quarter notes, and then keeps playing the same chord but picking up the tempo until he's wildly strumming, and that's it!

4) The two country-tinged back-to-back solos at the end on CAKE's "Walk on By". (There's like 6 guitarists on that album, so I'm not sure who takes the solos.) The first 8 bars are on guitar and the second 8 on the slide steel. One (two) of the most amazing, beautiful solos in the history of the guitar!!!!!

I'm sure I have a few thousand others I think are brilliant, but my brain doesn't do random-access mode very well. Probably I think of more tomorrow or next week or driving to work or taking a cr*p or something. That's usually when I remember things....

I have been expecting more drummers to pick this song than any other. The blinding triplets that Blackmore rips off near the end of that solo (and he was picking every note - not "sweeping" as so many lead guitarists do today) have such perfect timing to them. Even back in the day, I was not that great of a Deep Purple fan, but as a drummer, whenever I heard that guitar solo, I just dropped my jaw in disbelief. Even today, the only lead guitarist I have heard that comes close to Blackmore in speed and complexity is Yngwie Malmsteen.

Another Brick in the Wall - David Gilmour (Floyd - I could easily include half a dozen of his solos)

The Thrill Is Gone - BB King

Show Biz Kids - Rick Derringer (Steely Dan)

Sister Morphine - Ry Cooder (The Stones)

Smoke on the Water - Ritche (Purple)

All Along the Watchtower - Jimi

Intro / Sweet Jane - Steve Hunter (Lou Reed's Rock'n'Roll Animal)

Batuka - Uncle Carlos (from Santana 3)

Son of Orange County - Uncle Frank (from Roxy and Elsewhere)

Om Nama Shivaya - Steve Hillage (from the album "L")

Couldn't Stand the Weather - Stevie Ray

White Room - EC is God

Ok, it's more than ten ... but there's been a lot of good uns! I didn't include the other 1000 or so gems to be found on various Steely Dan (how about Larry Carlton on Kid Charlemaine?), Beck, Queen, Purple, Zep, Floyd and BB King albums.

I love your list Polyanna; in fact your entire post. A guitar solo that I love is Grant Geissman on Chuck Mangione's " Feels so Good." I know the song isn't everyones cup of tea, but even if it's not, what a guitar solo.

I love your list Polyanna; in fact your entire post. A guitar solo that I love is Grant Geissman on Chuck Mangione's " Feels so Good." I know the song isn't everyones cup of tea, but even if it's not, what a guitar solo.

Cheers Derek. Which version? There are a few versions on YouTube.

As a child of the 60s and 70s I've always been a sucker for a good guitar solo. Sadly, they're pretty dated these days. I realsed this when I tried playing my nephew some songs with great guitar solos and he looked at me as though I was offering him a cat's dropping in a bun (with sauce).

Then he'd play me some psychedelic techno thing, that started off really well but repeated itself out of interestingness after about 16 bars.

A fair bit of David Gilmour on this page. He's a pretty simple lead player when compared with most of the other guys listed but he's so tasty. He always seems to find the note you're hoping he will play next.

Crisp E, I was maybe neglectful in omoitting Bob Fripp's work but I've always liked the role he plays in songs more than the solos in themselves. The Baby On Fire one is a scorcher, though.